Israel Under Missile Barrage on Passover as US Strikes Iran’s Tallest Bridge; Tehran Vows Retaliation

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VFI News Final | VFI News | Vision for Israel

The situation in the Middle East is rapidly escalating.

Israel is now facing attacks from three fronts—Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen. As missile barrages intensify and regional tensions grow, many are asking: Is this turning into a wider war?

In this week’s VFI News update, we break down the latest developments in the Israel-Iran war, including:

Ongoing Iranian missile attacks on Israel

Hezbollah escalation along Israel’s northern border

IDF strikes targeting Iranian regime assets

The growing risk of a broader regional conflict

We also look at the global impact, including rising oil prices, economic pressure, and the potential for a wider crisis affecting nations around the world.

At the same time, Israel is marking Passover, while Christians around the world prepare for Resurrection Sunday—a powerful reminder of hope in the midst of uncertainty.

👉 Please continue to pray for Israel, for protection, wisdom for leaders, and peace in the region.

#Israel #IsraelIranWar #MiddleEast #BreakingNews #Hezbollah #Houthis #IsraelUnderAttack #WarInIsrael #MiddleEastConflict #WorldNews #Geopolitics #PrayForIsrael #BibleProphecy #Passover #ResurrectionSunday

On behalf of Barry and Batya Segal and the entire team at Vision for Israel, we wish you and your families a blessed and meaningful Passover. As we remember God’s faithfulness in delivering His people from bondage, may this season of freedom fill your hearts with renewed hope, even amid the trials our nation faces. Just as the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand, we trust that He watches over His people now. May the Lamb’s blood continue to cover and protect Israel, and may we all find peace and joy at His table. Chag Sameach!

Iran fired approximately ten ballistic missiles at central Israel on Wednesday evening, April 1, in the largest single salvo since the early days of the war, as millions of Israelis gathered for the Passover Seder. Sirens sounded repeatedly across the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and surrounding cities, sending families racing from their holiday tables to bomb shelters and safe rooms. Hezbollah simultaneously launched rockets from Lebanon, triggering additional warnings in the north and the Golan Heights.

The IDF said most of the incoming missiles were intercepted, while some were allowed to strike open areas in accordance with military protocol. No fatalities were reported from the evening barrages, though several people were treated for minor injuries and panic attacks. Earlier on Wednesday morning, sixteen people, including multiple children, were wounded by fragments that impacted central Israel, and a 25-year-old man died after losing consciousness during sirens in Ramat Gan.

IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin had warned the public earlier in the day that Iran and Hezbollah were likely to target Israel during the holiday in a deliberate effort to maximize psychological pressure on civilians. Iran’s missile fire on Israel had slowed to approximately 10 to 15 missiles per day in recent weeks, down from around 90 on the first day of the war on February 28. Wednesday’s coordinated barrage marked a sharp reversal of that trend.

“Dear Lord, we come before You this Passover and lift up the people of Israel who are enduring missile attacks even as they gather to remember Your mighty deliverance from Egypt. We pray in Yeshua’s Name that You shield every family, strengthen the hands of those who defend the nation, and bring swift and lasting peace to Your people. We ask that You turn the hearts of Israel’s enemies toward repentance and that Your presence be felt in every shelter and every home throughout this holy season.”

The B1 highway bridge, a key link between Iran’s capital Tehran and the western city of Karaj, collapsed on Thursday, April 2, following US-Israeli airstrikes. Considered the tallest bridge in the Middle East at approximately 136 meters, the structure was only inaugurated earlier this year. President Donald Trump posted a video of the dramatic collapse on social media, writing that the bridge would “never be used again” and urging Tehran to “make a deal before it is too late.”

Iranian state television reported the bridge was struck at least twice, roughly an hour apart, and that at least two civilians were killed and several others injured. The second strike reportedly hit while emergency teams were on scene assisting victims of the first attack. A US official indicated the Iranian military had been using the bridge to transport missiles, making it a strategic target in the ongoing Operation Epic Fury campaign.

In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly identified several bridges in American-allied nations across the Middle East as potential targets, including infrastructure in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and the Jordan region. The strike came just hours after Trump delivered a primetime address in which he said the US would hit Iran “extremely hard” over the next two to three weeks and threatened to bring the country “back to the Stone Ages.”

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” – Psalm 18:2

Iranian military officials warned the United States and Israel of “crushing, broader, and more destructive” attacks following President Donald Trump’s national address on Wednesday, April 1, in which he said America is close to achieving its core military objectives but threatened to hit Iran “extremely hard” over the next two to three weeks. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Iranian military’s Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters, vowed the war would continue until the “permanent regret and surrender” of Iran’s adversaries.

Zolfaqari rejected Trump’s assessment that Iran has been “essentially decimated,” claiming the targeted facilities have been “insignificant” and insisting that the US military cannot reach key production sites. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran has “no choice but to fight back strongly” and would not tolerate a cycle of war, negotiations, and ceasefire followed by further aggression.

The exchange came as Brent crude oil prices soared above $108 per barrel, driven by the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil production normally flows. Trump told European allies to “build up some delayed courage” and secure the strait themselves, while Britain convened a virtual coalition of more than 30 nations to discuss efforts to reopen the vital waterway.

“Heavenly Father, we lift up the leaders of nations before You and ask that You grant them wisdom. We pray in Yeshua’s Name that You restrain the forces of evil that seek to escalate this conflict, and protect all innocent civilians caught in the crossfire and bring this war to a swift end. We trust in Your sovereignty over the affairs of nations and ask that Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

The IDF announced on Thursday, April 2, that it killed Jamshid Eshaqi, commander of the Iranian regime’s Oil Headquarters, in a precision airstrike carried out by the Air Force in Tehran earlier in the week. The military described the unit as a central financial arm that channels revenue from oil sales to support Iran’s military operations, including ballistic missile production and the funding of regional proxy groups.

Eshaqi oversaw funding used to advance Iran’s military buildup and to finance organizations such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. In a separate strike on Wednesday, the IDF said it hit a central Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters in Tehran used to manage budgets for security bodies and fund military operations and terror groups. The military said the funds were used both to strengthen Iran’s armed forces and to support its regional proxies.

The IDF added that Iran’s military and the IRGC have long relied on oil revenues, often circumventing international sanctions, with dedicated structures established to manage and distribute those funds. Tehran has sent tens of billions of dollars over the years to Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, enabling the production of thousands of ballistic missiles and other weapons.

Thanks to wonderful supporters like you, hundreds of families all over the country received financial aid from VFI for Passover. Among them were: terror survivors, lone soldiers, families in need (including many single-parent families), Holocaust survivors, and new immigrants from Ethiopia and other nations.

The IDF said on Thursday, April 2, that Iran sent approximately $2 billion to Hezbollah over the past year, roughly double its usual annual support, helping the Lebanese terrorist group rebuild after its 2024 war with Israel. The money was used to restore Hezbollah’s capabilities following the conflict that ended with a ceasefire in November 2024. Israeli officials had previously assessed that Hezbollah would struggle to finance its recovery after that war.

Iran’s budget for the Persian year 1404, running from March 2025 to March 2026, totaled approximately $58.7 billion, with $15.85 billion allocated for defense—about 27 percent of total spending. The military said Tehran typically sends Hezbollah about $1 billion annually, but that amount doubled over the past year, enabling the group to resume firing hundreds of rockets a day and to launch drones in the current conflict.

Iran also sends hundreds of millions of dollars annually to Hamas, terrorist organizations in Judea and Samaria, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, and Shiite militias in Iraq. IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel had struck every attempt at force buildup. Four IDF divisions are currently operating in southern Lebanon, and the military reported that nearly 1,000 terrorists have been killed since the campaign there began.

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.” – Isaiah 54:17

A federal judge on Tuesday, April 1, dismissed a settlement between President Donald Trump’s Internal Revenue Service and two Texas churches, along with the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) that would have allowed churches to endorse political candidates without risking their tax-exempt status. US District Judge J. Campbell Barker in Tyler, a Trump appointee, ruled he lacked jurisdiction to approve the pact.

Under the proposed agreement, traditional religious communications would have been deemed exempt from the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 tax code provision that bars religious and secular nonprofits from endorsing political candidates. The IRS entered the agreement in July to settle a lawsuit brought by the NRB ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Barker sided with opponents, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, who argued the Tax Anti-Injunction Act blocked him from approving the deal.

Michael Farris, NRB’s general counsel, said the organization plans to appeal, arguing that the judge’s decision ignores an Anti-Injunction Act exemption. Family Research Council president Tony Perkins called the ruling a missed opportunity “to correct a wrong that strikes at the very heart of American freedom.” President Joe Biden’s DOJ had previously defended the Johnson Amendment’s constitutionality, but the direction changed under President Trump, who has called for the provision to be repealed.

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14

Nearly half of Israeli tech companies reported significant workforce shortages as a result of the ongoing war with Iran, with more than a quarter of their employees absent due to a combination of reserve military duty, closure of educational frameworks, and security restrictions. The Israel Innovation Authority surveyed 637 CEOs, founders, and executives of high-tech companies and startups between March 18 and 23, during the third week of fighting.

The survey found that 42 percent of firms reported delays in meeting development goals, with 22 percent stating they had already substantially postponed milestones or product launches. About 71 percent indicated the security situation had affected fundraising or investment processes, with investors delaying decisions or canceling funding altogether. The impact was more pronounced among smaller companies and those located in the north and south of the country.

Israel Innovation Authority CEO Dror Bin said the sector is facing challenges related to human capital, supply chains, product development, and access to capital, but noted that the industry has proven its ability to recover quickly from recent disruptions. Karin Mayer Rubinstein, CEO of Israel’s Association of Tech Industries, said the main challenge remains the workforce shortage, which is damaging production and supply chains for companies that also operate manufacturing plants.

“Dear God, we ask You to sustain the economy of Israel during this time of war and uncertainty. We pray in Yeshua’s Name for the workers called to reserve duty and their families, that You provide for their every need. We ask that You inspire creativity and resilience in Israel’s innovators, protect the livelihoods of those who are suffering financially, and restore prosperity to the land You have given Your people.”

Communities across Israel organized grassroots Passover Seder gatherings for displaced families and those unable to celebrate at home due to the ongoing war with Iran and Hezbollah. Kibbutz Nir Am in the Gaza border region invited families from the hard-hit northern town of Kiryat Shmona for a shared holiday meal, lodging, children’s activities, and a barbecue. The initiative was organized within hours by kibbutz members Dolev Azulai and Shai Sasson.

“Who knows better than we do what it means to be displaced?” Azulai wrote in the kibbutz WhatsApp group, noting that northern residents are enduring rocket fire without even being officially classified as evacuees. Local businesses from Sderot and the surrounding area donated food, wine, desserts, and vouchers. Sasson praised the outpouring of support, calling it a reflection of “the beautiful face of Israel.”

Elsewhere, public Seders were held in bomb shelters, school cafeterias, and hotels across the country. In Kiryat Shmona, Ayala Amar and her husband planned to host their children and grandchildren in their apartment building’s shelter. Despite decades of rocket fire and evacuations, the couple said they refuse to leave. “We are celebrating Passover in the shelter because, unfortunately, it just keeps going on,” Amar said. The Tzohar rabbinical organization also released a guide explaining how to prioritize Seder rituals if a siren interrupts the meal.

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” – Psalm 133:1

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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